How To Have a Productive Day (10 Best Tips To Get More Done)

Last Updated February 1, 2024 by Davina Kelly

Are you looking for the best tips to have a productive day?

If you often find yourself wondering why you weren’t able to accomplish more it could be because you need to adopt new habits.

As someone who is ambitious, I always strive to make my day as productive as possible. I am also constantly reading books on the topic to learn ways to work smarter.

In this post, I will share the best ways I have learned to manage my time efficiently, increase my productivity and reach my goals.

After reading this post, you will know how to have a productive day along with tips to manage your time and energy.

This post is all about how to have a productive day.

10 Best Ways To Have a Productive Day:

1. Plan Your Day In Advance

The first step to having a productive day is to plan your day in advance. You wouldn’t travel without a plan so why start your day without one?

Having a plan for your day will help you to be focused and productive and use your time efficiently. It will also save you from wasting time during the day making decisions.

You can plan your day the night before or you can do it in the morning. I prefer to plan my day the night before. By doing this I can wake up in the morning already knowing what I need to do which gives me a head start.

To plan your day you can use a simple notepad or planner and write down the tasks you need to complete. If you prefer using a digital method you can write your tasks in the notes app on your phone or you can use Notion.

I used to use a paper planner, but now I have switched to using Notion. I find it easy to use and I love that I can see everything on my phone, check things off as they get done and make any changes without having to cross things out. Choose whichever option works best for you.

Sometimes we can end up with a long to-do list so I recommend highlighting the three important things you need to get done for the day. These should be the things that you must do or things that will help you get closer to your goals.

Focusing on these three tasks will make your day more manageable and skyrocket your productivity.

2. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is an essential function that affects every part of your life. When you sleep your body has time to rest, repair and restore your brain and body.

Having sufficient sleep will allow you to wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy. But if you lack sleep it can result in poor focus, this is one of the reasons you can’t concentrate and end up procrastinating.

If you don’t look for ways to improve your sleep it can also lead to reduced cognition, delayed reactions and mood swings and you don’t want that when you are trying to have a productive day.

It can be tempting to work all the time when you are working towards your goals, but it is important to make time for rest. To get enough sleep you need to have a good night routine. This will give you time to unwind and prepare for a good night’s sleep.

You can do this by having a set time to go to sleep and wake up and by doing simple things in the evening like having some tea and reading a book. If you do this consistently your brain will associate these tasks with bedtime and it will help you to fall asleep fast and ensure that you have enough rest.

Try this for a few weeks and see how you get on. Before you know it you will be waking up feeling rested and ready to have an optimal day.

3. Have a Morning Routine

Now that we have covered getting enough sleep let’s talk about having a morning routine. Having a morning routine is a form of self-care and will boost your mind before beginning a busy productive day.

Taking some time for yourself in the morning will also reduce stress and allow you to set the tone for your day.

For example, if you wake up early and start your day by reading and meditating you will begin your day feeling calm and positive. Whereas if you wake up late and have to rush to get ready you will begin your day feeling rushed and stressed.

You can create a morning routine that is simple but effective it doesn’t have to be a long aesthetic routine lol Your morning routine is personal to you so you should include healthy habits that will contribute to you having a good day.

I recommend waking up an hour early to allow yourself time to complete your routine. In your routine, you can include a habit for mindfulness like meditating or journaling. If you like to plan your day in the morning you can do it during this time and you can also make time to move your body.

You should also include things that you enjoy in your routine. For example, if you enjoy reading or going for a walk you should make time for that. This will make you look forward to waking up early.

Including these healthy habits in your morning routine will also improve your mental well-being and set you up for success.

4. Set Your Intention

Setting an intention for the day is a small but powerful habit. It is a great way to align your goals with your daily tasks and it can help you to be more positive and focused.

During your morning routine take some time to think about your intention for the day. Think about what your overall goals are and what you can do during the day to help you get closer to reaching them.

For example, your intention could be to be productive in your personal tasks because completing those tasks will help you start your side hustle. When your intentions resonate deeply with you and the vision you have for yourself you are more likely to work harder to complete your tasks.

5. Time Block Your Tasks

Planning your day is an important step in having a productive day, but time blocking will ensure that you actually get things done.

Time blocking your tasks will allow you to choose an optimal time in the day to work on your tasks. During this time you will only focus on that one thing without any distractions.

By implementing time blocking in your day you will benefit from enhanced focus and productivity. It will also help you to be more intentional with your time, reduce procrastination, have better control of your day and prioritise the important tasks.

When you are creating time blocks in your calendar you should think about the amount of time and energy each task requires and create your time blocks accordingly.

For example, I work in accounting and know that analysis tasks require a lot of brain power so I schedule those in the morning. Then in the afternoon, I can work on the lighter tasks such as responding to emails, running reports etc. Doing this will help me to have a productive day at work.

Once you have figured out the best order to complete your tasks you can add the time blocks to your calendar. To make it look aesthetically pleasing you can use different colours for different tasks. For example, you can use green for all of your work tasks, pink for appointments, and a different colour for your personal tasks.

6. Complete The Hardest Task First

Beginning your day by completing the hardest task first will set you up to win your day. By doing this you can leverage the energy boost you have in the morning (because you will have had enough rest) and you will benefit from the motivation you feel earlier in the day.

Completing the hardest task first will also give you a sense of achievement and it will make the other tasks you have to complete seem less daunting.

7. Eliminate Distractions

If you struggle with being productive throughout the day it could be due to distractions. Distractions throughout the day can make you less productive and can eat away at your time and energy.

Take an objective look at your day and think about all the things that distract you. It could be your phone notifications, casual conversations with work colleagues or getting up to get a snack. Once you have identified them you need to look at ways to reduce or eliminate them. This may sound harsh but it will help you have a productive day.

There are simple things you can do to reduce your distractions. For example, you can put your phone on silent and have your snacks ready on your desk so you don’t need to get up when you are hungry.

It takes discipline to make these changes, but doing so will help you to stay focused and create a calm work environment. Reducing distractions will also allow you to focus on deep work.

Deep work is defined as “Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.” Cal Newport (The author of Deep Work).

When you focus on deep work it allows you to get into a flow state and produce quality work. If you block out an hour for deep work and focus on one task, you will get more done than if you worked for hours with distractions.

8. Push Past Procrastination

We can do everything possible to have a productive day, but sometimes procrastination will creep in. It could be because you feel overwhelmed, lazy or because you just don’t feel like working today. If you are having one of those days don’t stress it happens to everyone at some point. You just need to have tools on hand to help you push past it.

When you are having those days it is important to show up anyway, showing up is half of the battle. Once you show up you begin to create momentum and are more likely to get something done.

For example, if you need to workout but aren’t feeling it you should still get up and put your workout clothes on and once you are dressed you might as well go and workout. After you have done the thing you were procrastinating doing you will feel better afterward.

As much as you want to be productive it is important to listen to your body. If you are procrastinating because you are tired or unwell you should listen to your body and rest.

If it is that time of the month and I am struggling to wake up I will allow myself to sleep in a little. But once I am up I will get ready, show up and try to complete at least one task. Completing one task is better than not doing anything.

9. Take Breaks

Making time in your day to take breaks is important and believe it or not it will boost your productivity. Taking breaks throughout the day can help increase your energy levels, focus, and concentration and help reduce burnout.

Once you have stepped away from working on a task you will come back feeling refreshed and have increased levels of creativity. It can also help to improve your decision-making. This is because your mind will have had time to rest.

When planning your day and creating your time blocks don’t forget to make time for breaks. I find it easier to have an hour-long lunch break and a fifteen-minute break in the morning and afternoon. During this time I will eat my lunch away from my desk and make some tea or have a snack. Schedule your breaks in a way that works best for you.

10. Reflect

Now that you have set yourself up to have a productive day it is important to make time to reflect. Having a plan is great, but you need to ensure that it is working.

At the end of your day take some time to think about how your day went. Ask yourself how you feel about your performance, what went well, what didn’t and where you can make improvements.

The answers to these questions can help you learn from your mistakes, give you perspective and improve your productivity over time. If there are any changes you want to make you can include them when you are planning for the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Productive Work?

Productive work is measured by the amount ocanare able to complete within a certain amount of time. This can be measured by the number of tasks you were able to complete.

Being productive means different things to different people. For example, a productive day for one person might be going grocery shopping and meal planning for the week. For another, it could be responding to emails, finishing a work project and attending meetings.

Productivity is personal, as long as the work you are doing is helping you to reach your goals it is productive.

What Does Your Most Productive Day Look Like?

My most productive day is one where I follow the plan I have set for the day and complete the tasks that are aligned with my goals. During this day I will focus on deep work and ensure that I make time for myself by completing my morning routine and taking breaks. I have gone into this in more detail in this post.

Final Thoughts

Having a productive day will mean different things to different people. You don’t have to complete ten tasks to be productive. You can complete two hours of quality work and still be productive.

It is about using your time efficiently, completing tasks that will help you reach your goals, and making time for yourself by taking breaks and reflecting.

You can follow the steps I have given in this post or use them as a guide to create a productive day for yourself. You don’t have to aim for perfection, expecting this will bring disappointment. Remember doing one hour of focused work is better than not doing anything.

Have you found these tips to have a productive day helpful? What are some of the things you include in your day to make it productive?